Iran F-5 Fighter Plane Crashes, Kills Two

An Iranian US-made F-5 fighter plane crashed Sunday after hitting a mountain in the west of the country, killing both crew members.

By Arutz Sheva staff

First Publish: 4/21/2013, 6:19 PM

An Iranian F-5 warplane

AFP file

An Iranian US-made F-5 fighter plane crashed Sunday after hitting a mountain in the west of the country, killing both crew members, Iranian media reported, according to the AFP news agency.

The two pilots were killed upon impact as the jet fighter hit the mountain near Abdanan town of Ilam province.

The town's governor Morad Naseri was quoted as saying. that the crash is currently being investigated by authorities.

Iran's air force retains an aging fleet, including US-manufactured aircraft purchased before the 1979 Islamic revolution which brought an end to the cordial relations between Iran and the United States..

In January 2012, an American-built F-14 fighter crashed minutes after takeoff, also killing both crew members.